Strip-type can opener



1960 J. P. TEEGARDIN Q 2,958,441

STRIP-TYPE CAN OPENER Filed April 2, 1958 INVENTOR.

JOHN P. TEEGARDIN STRIP-TYPE CAN OPENER John P. Teegardin, 1022 Cedar St., Santa Monica, Calif., assignor of one-tenth to Gadget-@f-The ionth Club, 'Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 725,834

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the can opener art and, more particularly, relates to an improved can opener adapted for use in opening a can of the type which is sealed by a pair of parallel vertically spaced sealing and substantially encircling junctions, with the wall of a can, of a can-encircling sealing strip having a free end which, according to prior art practice, is adapted to be engaged in a small apertured key and removed by Winding the strip on the key and thus tearing it forcibly from the side wall of the can and efiectively opening the can. However, opening a can with a prior art key of the type just mentioned is a very difiicult and ometimes dangerous operation because of the difliculty encountered in causing the sealing strip to wind into a flat spiral, as intended. Frequently, the first portion of the unwinding operation will be successful but toward the end of the operation, when the periphery of the spirally wound strip effectively has a larger and larger diameter, it may be found that the strip will slip out of a flat horizontal spiral relationship, and it will be difficult to supply sufficient force to remove the last portion of the sealing strip from the can, and, furthermore, there is considerable likelihood of cutting the fingers of an operator of the can opening key in performing this operation.

Applicants improved can opener embodies means whereby the sealing strip will always be Wound into a completely flat spiral during the removing operation, and whereby it can be conveniently and easily disengaged from the can opener after completion of a can opening operation. Furthermore, applicants can opener is adjustable so as to be capable of effective can opening use with different widths of can sealing strips.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved can opener of the type referred to above including upper and lower vertically spaced strip guide means defining therebetween a strip-receiving and strip-winding recess which will positively cause the winding of a can sealing strip on a pindle extending vertically through said recess to be of a spiral and completely flat nature.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can opener of the type set forth in the preceding object, wherein the spindle is arranged for longitudinal movement with respect to upper and lower strip guide members for convenient disengagement of the spindle, which is slotted rather than apertured, from the completely fiat spirally wound can sealing strip after removal from a can.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can opener of the character set forth in either or both of the preceding objects wherein the upper and lower strip guide members are relatively vertically adjustably mounted to make the device adaptable for can opening use with various widths of can sealing strips.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can opener of the type set forth in the preceding obiect, which includes means for controllably lock- Patented Nov. 1, 1960 inc ing the upper and lower strip guide member in a normal predetermined vertically spaced relationship.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can opener of the character set forth in any of the preceding objects, including spindle aligning means maintaining alignment of the spindle means with aperture means through said upper and lower strip guide members irrespective of the vertical position of said spindle means.

Other and allied object will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a careful study of the accompanying illustrations, the present specification, and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelow-described drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment of the present invention with the upper and lower strip guide members vertically adjusted and controllably locked in a normal predetermined vertically spaced relationship and with the vertical spindle means in an upper extreme position such as would normally correspond to the position of the apparatus immediately after forcible disengagement of the spindle means from a flat spirally wound can sealing strip after it has been removed from a can. The apparatus may also be in this position just prior to engagement with the free end of :a can sealing strip just before a can opening operation;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of aspect similar to Fig. 1 but shows the vertical spindle means: in its lowermost position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view as seen from a vantage point at the right of and behind the apparatus in the position illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same aspect as Fig. 3 but shows the upper and lower strip guide members adjusted to their maximum vertical separation and shows the locking means controlling said adjustment in unlocked position;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the apparatus with the parts thereof in the relative position of Fig. 2 but with the open-ended slot in the spindle means in engagement with the free end of a can sealing strip during the early stages of a can opening operation; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of aspect similar to Fig. 5 but with the portions of the apparatus in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 immediately after forcible disengagement of the spindle means from the spirally wound can sealing strip upon completion of a can opening operation.

Generally speaking, the improved can opener of the present invention includes base means provided with virtually vertical aperture means therein, and includes virtually vertical spindle means carried in the vertical aperture means of the base means for rotation and for limited vertical movement with respect to the base means. In the specific example illustrated, the base means is indicated generally at 1 and takes the form of a main body member 2 which is vertically directed and which is provided at its bottom with a horizontal upper strip guide member 3. Said body member 2 also effectively carries another vertical member 4 which is provided at its lower end with a horizontal lower strip guide member 5. It should be noted that the main body member 2 has a lower portion indicated at 6 which is positioned between the upper guide member 3 and the lower guide member 5 and effectively comprises a vertical recess wall member which, together with the vertically spaced horizontal upper and lower strip guide members 3 and 5, respectively, defines therebetween a strip-receiving and strip-winding recess indicated generally at 7.

In the speciic example illustrated, the vertical spindle means referred to above is indicated generally at 8 and has an actuating handle 9 at the top end thereof and a longitudinal open-ended slot means 10 at the bottom end thereof adapted to removably engage the free engaging end 1 1 of a can-sealing strip, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. in the specific example illustrated, the aperture means in the base means referred to hereinbefore, comprises vertically aligned apertures 12 and 13 in the upper and lower horizontal strip guide members 3' and 5, respectively; said vertically aligned apertures 12 and 13 vertically receiving and carrying the central portion of the vertical spindle means 3 therein for rotation during can opening operation and for vertical reciprocation from the lowermost position shown in Figs. 2 and into the uppermost position shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

Also generically speaking, the upper and lower strip guide members are relatively vertically adjustably mounted. In the specific example illustrated, this is provided by means of the vertically slidablc closely adjacent relationship of the vertical main body member 2, which effectively comprises a vertically directed upper extension member connected to the upper strip guide member 3 and the vertically upwardly directed rear member 4, which effectively comprises a vertically directed upper extension member connected to the lower guide member 5; said vertical members 2 and 4 being vertically slidably connected with respect to each other by adjustable transverse pin and vertical slot means taking, in the specific example illustrated, the form of rivets l4 fixedly fastened to the main body member 2 and slidably ex tending through ver 'cal slot means 115 in the rear vertical member a connected to the lower strip guide member 5. This allows the entire rear vertical member 4 and the lower strip guide member 5 to be moved from the upper extreme position shown in Figs. 1,2, 3, 5, and 6 into the lower extreme position shown in Fig. 4, when desired, and after the controllable locking means 16 has been pivotally moved on the upper rivet 14 from its normal locking position in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 into its unlocked position shown in Fig. 4. The downward movement of the member 4 and the lower strip guide member 5 can be accomplished, when the locking means 16 is in the unlocked position shown in Fig. 4, by manually grasping a rearward projection 17 and forcibly moving the entire member 4 and the lower strip guide member 5 into the lowermost position shown in Fig. 4, or vice versa, into the uppermost position shown in the other figures. After moving it into the uppermost position, the locking means 16 will be normally rotated about the upper rivet 14 from the unlocked position shown in Fig. 4 into the locked position shown in all of the other figures.

This feature of the present invention allows the vertical spacing between the upper and lower strip guide members 3 and 5 to be adjusted to any position between two extremes so as to be capable of effective can opening cooperation with can sealing strips of various widths. It should be noted that the rivets I l fasten the two adjustable portions together tightly enough and with sufiicient friction so that they will stay in any relative vertical position into which they have been forcibly adjusted.

Also generally speaking, the present invention may include spindle aligning means maintaining alignment of the spindle means with the aperture means in the base means irrespective of the vertical position of the spindle means. In the specific example illustrated, this comprises two vertically spaced horizontally directed members 18 and 19 efiectively carried by the upper portion of the main body member 2 and provided with vertically aligned apertures 29 and 21, which act to maintain the spindle 8 in alignment with the apertures 12 and 13 even though the spindle 8 may be moved out of the apertures 12 and 13 into the uppermost extreme position shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 6.

Also generally speaking, the present invention may include travel limiting means carried by the spindle 4 means and limiting vertical respect to the base means. In the specific example illustrated, this takes the form of a travel limiting stop pin 22 horizontally extending from each side of the center portion of the spindle 3 and positioned between the upper and lower horizontal members 18 and 19 whereby to positively provide upper and lower limits of travel for the spindle 8.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows. The free end 11 of a can sealing strip is engaged within the open-ended slot means 10 and the handle h is rotated in clockwise direction as one looks down on the apparatus in tie position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. This causes the entire apparatus to travel around the circular periphery of the can indicated generally at 23 and to remove the unsealing strip ll therefrom by winding it in a flat spiral around the lower end of the spindle. Then the handle 9 is rotated slightly in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from the top of Figs. 2 and 5, to slightly loosen the engagement thereof with the can sealing strip ll, and the handle 9 is pulled upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6, which completely disengages the open-ended slot ill from the flat spirally wound strip 11, which will then fall out of the recess 7. If a can sealing strip of greater width is to be removed from a can, the upper and lower strip guide members may be adjusted to any position between that shown in Fig. 5 and that shown in Fig. 4 suchas to receive the can sealing strip in the recess 7, and the opening operation can then proceed in the manner just described.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such, properlywithin the basic spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated, and claimed herein.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relative positionings, and cooperative relationships of the various component parts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiments of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

An improved can opener adapted for use in opening a can of the type which is sealed by a pair of parallel vertically spaced sealing and substantially encircling junctions, with a wall of the can, of a can-encircling sealing strip having a free end, comprising: base means provided with virtually vertical aperture means therein;

virtually vertical spindle means carried in the vertical aperture means for rotation and for limited vertical movement with respect to the base means, said spindle means being provided with actuating handle means adjacent the top end thereof and longitudinal open-ended slot means adjacent the bottom end thereof adapted to removably engage the free engaging end of a virtually horizontal can-sealing strip, whereby said handle means can be forcibly rotated to remove the sealing strip from a can sealed thereby and to spirally wind said sealing strip around said spindle in a substantially horizontal plane, and whereby said sealing stripcan be removed from'engagement with said spindle means and said openended slot means therein by relative upward movement of said spindle means with respect to said aperture means in said base means; said base means including a vertical recess wall member, a horizontal upp'er strip guide member and a vertically spaced horizontal lower strip guide member defining therebetween a strip-receivmovement thereof with.

ing and strip-winding recess; said horizontal upper strip guide member being provided with a vertically directed upper extension member; said horizontal lower strip guide member being provided with a vertically directed upper extension member comprising an upper projection of said recess wall member and lying immediately adjacent to and in slidable relationship with respect to the upper extension member carried by said upper strip guide member; transverse pin and vertical slot means slidably coupling together said upper extension members carried, respectively, by said upper strip guide member and said lower strip guide member for relative vertical slidable movement whereby to vertically adjust the spacing between said upper and lower strip guide members; means for controllably locking said upper and lower strip guide members in a normal predetermined vertically spaced relationship; spindle aligning means maintaining alignment of said spindle means with said aper ture means in said base means irrespective of the vertical position of said spindle means; and travel limiting stop pin means carried by said spindle means and limiting vertical movement of said spindle means with respect to said base means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

